Publication

Statement from Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU) for the event which took place to Aleksandr Popov

Author:yevdem

04.06.2014

Everyone who was watching evening news issue on 26th of May became an eyewitness of shocking scene on Kyiv streets. On this very day that what up before Pechersk district court was case of circumstances of protesters crackdown at Maidan Nezalezhnosti (The Square of Independence) on 30th of November2013. In particular, that was judged was the question about exemption from criminal liability of former head of Kyiv city state administration Aleksandr Popov.

Representatives of Self-Defense, ‘4th Hundred (Sotnya)’ of Maidan reportedly after mass media arranged a meeting beside windows of the Court. Moreover, some of them were under influence of alcohol, they were shouting words of ‘foul language’ on address of A. Popov and furthermore re-hung flag of Ukraine upside down on the building of the Court

When A. Popov came out of the building of the Court, some Self-Defense representatives attacked him. At that, they inflicted him trivial injuries, poured him over with water and iodine and affronted him. Militia squad standing beside did not meddled at all in the conflict and failed to insure public order.

Thanks only to attending journalists and some of persons affected in case beating of Popov was luckily prevented.

This incident is meaningful – dangerous tendency of right’s role lowering in public life as a result of shifting it with revolutionary practicability has revealed here in particular case. We see how easy it is to lose the spoils of revolution. This danger is being revealed now not just in the shape of distinct counter-revolution which takes place in Regions of Donetsk and Lugansk . One cannot as well underestimate the danger of Maidan’s degeneration, its marginalization, when democracy can turn into ochlocracy, public justice – into vigilantism and Maidan by itself as straight democracy institution – into roisterous crowd dictatorship.

We appeal to responsible law enforcement bodies to investigate said scandalous incident and to put those who are guilty in public order breaking, use of force pertaining A. Popov to justice.

We remind Maidan participants of that tragic price, paid and paying further by Ukraine for people’s european choice, will be justified only to the extent of human rights defense and fair justice will be guaranteed to all.

We point Kyiv authorities out that it is necessary to take urgent measures to while not loosing Maidan’s revolutionary energy transform it into new institutional forms of public self-administration and supervision.

Chair of the Management Board Nikolay Kozyrev

Executive Director Arkadiy Bushchenko

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